Russia, China back Maduro as US-led showdown nears

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (R) is pictured in a meeting with doctors in the capital Caracas, on February 21, 2019. (Photo by AFP)

China and Russia are rallying behind Venezuela, warning against military intervention in the Latin American country which is facing a showdown Saturday when the opposition plans to bring in a US "aid" package.

China's Foreign Ministry said on Friday the "so-called aid" should not be forced into Venezuela, lest it cause violence. A Venezuelan minister also planned to meet Russian leaders in Moscow later in the day.

Maduro on Thursday ordered Venezuela's border with Brazil to be shut and threatened to also close the border with Colombia as opposition leader Juan Guaido planned to get to the frontier to receive the US package.

Maduro announced in a televised speech on Thursday that the vast border with Brazil would be closed "completely and absolutely" until further notice.

He called the aid delivery plans a US-orchestrated show, saying, “It’s better to prevent than to regret.”

The order also came after Colombian troops deployed “all of their capabilities” on the border with Venezuela in order to help the US package enter the country.

I have instructed that from 8:00 pm. today #21Feb, the land border with the Federative Republic of Brazil be closed, in addition to the suspension of communications with the islands of Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire. Actions to protect national Peace! pic.twitter.com/uqh0NWTlur

Brazil Vice President Hamilton Mourao said a possible US military intervention against the oil-rich nation "wouldn't make sense,” adding that Venezuela's border closure "doesn't signify an act of aggression."

He also said Caracas “has the right to whatever it wants on its side of the border."

A spokesman for far-right President Jair Bolsonaro said the border closure would not cause "frictions" between the neighbors.

Venezuela’s military, which has remained loyal to the president, said on Wednesday that it was on alert at the country’s frontiers.

“The armed forces will remain deployed and on alert... to avoid any violations of territorial integrity,” said Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino.

The military also reaffirmed its support for Maduro after Trump threatened it to abandon the president or face dire consequences. The defense minister, appearing alongside senior officers, said any attempt to impose a new government would have to be done over “our dead bodies.”

Opposition leaders on Wednesday offered an olive branch in a dramatic climb-down from their initial pledge to topple Maduro, proposing a transitional government which includes the current administration.

They said they maintain contact with government officials and military officers but keep such talks confidential to avoid affecting those involved.

“This transition requires a large national agreement between the country’s political forces,” said Edgar Zambrano, vice president of the opposition-run National Assembly.

He explained that any transition must include “Chavismo,” the left-wing movement founded by Venezuela’s late leader Hugo Chavez, who appointed Maduro as his successor.

Maduo won a second six-year term in the presidential election last year. The two leading opposition candidates rejected the results, saying the election was marred by vote-rigging.

Maduro warned both the United States and the opposition against any coup attempts. He called on Guaido “to abandon his coup-mongering strategy,” and “think carefully about what you are doing.”